


Hidden

by marytalouise



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Character Study, Drabble, M/M, One Shot, Spoilers, slight romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-10
Updated: 2013-09-10
Packaged: 2017-12-26 06:09:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/962523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marytalouise/pseuds/marytalouise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Armin isn't the boy everyone thinks he is, and only a select few know the person behind the insecure mask.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hidden

**Author's Note:**

> Before you begin reading-
> 
> PLEASE NOTE:  
> There are spoilers through chapter 49 of the manga.
> 
> Thank you to Tox who's character analysis inspired me to write this piece.

Armin had always been manipulative, and after his scene with Annie, Armin kept finding ways in which he could benefit humanity by being the way he was. He thought back to his confrontation with Annie, wondering at how he had how well it had all turned out.

_“Do I… Do I really look like such a good person to you?” Annie’s voice was soft, and she refused to face Armin directly._

_Armin considered how he should respond, and finally decided on the truth._

_“A good person, huh? Well, I… I don’t really like that way of putting it. Because, you know, I feel like these words are simply what people use to call those who are convenient to them.” Armin spoke quietly._

_Annie stayed silent, finally turning to glance back at Armin._

_“And no one can be convenient to all. You may be useful to some people, but at the same time a bad person to others. That’s why, Annie, if you don’t help us now…” Armin’s voice trailed off, before his voice took on a deadly serious tone, “… to me, you will turn into a bad person.”_

_Annie thought about Armin’s words, and finally agreed to help, and Armin breathed a sigh of relief, glad his choice hadn’t backfired._

His best friends wouldn’t be able to understand his sometimes cruel methods. Mikasa viewed the world as cruel, and fought anything that could harm her small world, namely Eren and himself. Eren was even simpler, just aiming to kill any one that stood in the way of freedom.

But Armin knew just how horrible the world could be; his grandfather was send out to die, he watched as people were devoured by titans, and now that time had passed, he’d realized just how many people he thought to trust, had turned out to be traitors.

Annie had been a friend, and good to Armin until the moment that he’d realized Annie was the female titan.

Armin remembered Eren voicing his opinion after the plan to capture the female titan went south.

_“I understand that if the plan had succeeded, many perspectives would have opened, but still… Even for that kind of success, way too many people lost their lives!” Eren’s face was contorted in pain and disbelief, and Armin kept quiet, choosing to not anger his friend even more, although Armin felt he was wrong._

During the time the plan was being implemented, Armin had discussed his true feelings with Jean, the first person to ever see the cunning, cruel side to himself in such a clear light.

 _“Commander may be a bad and heartless person for what he did, but that’s just fine by me.” Armin’s face displayed rare emotion, conveying just how_ right _he thought Commander Erwin had acted._

_Armin recalled the face of his instructor, Ness, clenching his teeth. “No, it wasn’t wrong,” he affirmed aloud._

I know full well that Erwin will be judged for what he did, _Armin thought._ But I can’t find it in me to not think that the action was admirable and right.

_“I haven’t lived all that long yet, but there is something I firmly believe in. The people who have the ability to change something in this world, all, without exception, have guts to abandon things important to them if they have to. They are those who can even abandon their humanity if they are hard pressed to outdo monsters.”_

_Jean just stared, not agreeing with Armin’s reasoning, but oddly understanding of it._

It had been ten years since then, and working with Hanji, Armin had become a top scientist, as well as a strategist within the Survey Corps.

His cold and calculating demeanor was still known to only a handful, most of whom were the ones to actually register Armin’s harsh words when Eren had to be rescued.

_Armin looked Bertholdt in the eyes and spoke calmly. "Is it really okay for the two of you to leave your comrade behind and return to your hometwon like this?"_

_Armin watched Bertholdt's eyes widen, and smirked internally, realizing he'd hit a nerve. "You're going to leave Annie behind?" he pressed. "Annie is deep underground now, in the utopia district of the extreme north- being tortured." The blood drained from Bertholdt's face, and still Armin pushed._

_"If you could hear her screams, you'd understand immediately, that even if the physical wounds can heal, there's no way to erase the pain. Great care is being taken so that she won't die." Armin paused, letting his words sink in. "Even at this moment, Annie's body hasn't had any time to rest. She's undergoing all sorts of ingenious methods of torture..."_

Then Bertholdt had lost control, letting his rage loose. That loss of control is what had allowed Eren to be rescued.

Levi, Erwin and Jean were the ones to notice the manipulative nature of Armin, and although slightly more people knew, it was still a small number. Armin was a secret weapon of sorts, even if the weapon was only his tongue, they had no idea when it could come in handy again.

Since then, Jean had offered many times to listen to Armin's real thoughts, and eventually he gave in. They became close, not because they had the same views, but because they had different views and could understand the others'.

Almost three years ago, Jean had confessed to having romantic feelings for Armin. Armin, confused and unsure about what kind of feelings he had, hadn't answered immediately. However, after a mission gone awry, Jean came back severely injured and Armin had realized he, too, cared for Jean as more than a friend.

Eren and Mikasa had accepted the relationship relatively well (Eren worse than Mikasa), and now the four were closer than they'd ever been. Eren and Mikasa still didn't fully realize the extent of Armin's manipulative powers, but they knew that Armin wasn't all insecure cuteness.

Armin reclined in his chair, stretching his neck. He'd been multi-tasking, jotting down strategic plans for their next excursion, as well as thinking about the past.

A light knock sounded from his door, and Armin lifted his head as he called out, "Come in!"

Jean entered, a cup of coffee in one hand and a plate of lunch in another. "You missed lunch again, so I brought you some."

Armin smiled tiredly as he took the refreshments, thankful.

"Thank you, you always know just what I need."

Jean smiled a rare smile, one that he only reserved for Armin.

"Of course I do, I love you."

Armin was still amazed, that being the way he was, someone had found it in them to love him, and even more shocking was the fact that Armin actually...

"I love you too, Jean," Armin murmured, pulling Jean down for a kiss.


End file.
